


5 times tony forgot peter was just a kid

by parkrstark



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst, Dad!Tony, Gen, Hurt Peter, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Protective Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-07 23:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parkrstark/pseuds/parkrstark
Summary: ...and the 1 time he didn't.Or the one where it was hard for Tony to remember that the kid fighting next to him was still just a kid.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first go at writing these characters. I'm sorry if they aren't in character, hopefully I'll get better at these two. 
> 
> This entire fic was inspired by the The Scene when Peter is stuck. Watching him during that scene made me realize that he's just a kid under that suit. A baby compared to the other Avengers.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a battle, Peter gets injured and Tony freaks out...just a little.

**1**

Tony had thought Peter would have learned his lesson by now. Don't take on villains that can obviously crush you like a toothpick. 

 

But no, Peter loved to stick up for the “little guy and stay close to the ground”. If Tony knew how many times his own advice would come back to bite him in the ass, he'd never have said it. 

 

He'd been doing doing a great job of keeping common criminals off the streets and helping out the NYPD here or there. 

 

Tony hadn't been seeing him a lot lately, as he was caught upstate as the Avengers attempted to try and reunite and fix the Accords. 

 

He wasn't going to even come to Queens until FRIDAY had alerted him that Peter was fighting and not doing so well. That was the Tattletale setting on the suit. It came in handy when the suit was being worn by a teenage boy hell bent on fighting every single villain that walks with earth. Without calling in any backup.

 

So he hopped in a suit and hauled ass to where he saw Peter’s location on the GPS. The entire flight, he prayed to see Peter in one piece. 

 

When he finally arrived on the scene, he saw that Peter was holding his own, but with this douchebag in an armor that looked like a Transformer, he was starting to struggle from fatigue and all the hits he was taking. 

 

Tony swooped in alongside Peter and started to shoot his repulsors at the man. Peter stopped briefly to look over at him and Tony could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “Mr. Stark! Thanks for coming. What should I do to help?”

 

Tony shot the man in his robotic arm. “Just keep doing what you're doing, kid.” 

 

Peter nodded once and then swung on his web to attack this 8 foot monster from another side. He seemed to be fighting even harder than he was before. 

 

Tony started to shoot his repulsors, hoping that the painful shots of energy caught its attention more than little webs. 

 

After almost twenty minutes of fighting and out trash talking one another, Tony thought they were golden. Peter was webbing up his feet and Tony was shooting him repeatedly. Once they had him down, Tony could finish him off. 

 

But, just as Peter was starting to slow down on all the webbing, because it was thick and how could anything tear through that, things went to hell. 

 

The man shouted and with one kick of his giant leg, not only did the webs rip off, but Peter went flying into a wall. He hit the bricks with a loud crunch that would killed any normal 15 year old and fell to the ground in a heap. 

 

Tony felt his heart stop when Peter didn't get back up. He wanted to shout his name to see if he was okay, but he didn't want this ass to even to know Peter's  _ name _ .

 

He started running toward where Peter was lying in the street but the man turned to him and smirked. “Youre too late, Iron Man.”

 

And suddenly, Megaton was lifting up his arm with a giant gun, Tony had yet to see in action, and pointed it directly at him. Tony flinched as he was covered in a green sticky mucus looking slime. 

 

Tony was ready to ignore whatever the fuck  _ that  _ was but his suit wasn't moving. 

 

“FRIDAY, what's going on with my suit?” He was frantically trying to move his legs but they stayed locked in place. 

 

“Whatever this is all over your suit has seeped into the cracks and shocked the systems. I cannot get it to function like normal.”

 

“Well, try harder!” Tony yelled as he watched the monster of a man grin down at him before turning back to where Peter was  _ still  _ lying on the ground. 

 

With another loud cackle, he raised his metal fist and brought it down on Peter’s chest all while looking Tony in the eye. 

 

Tony wanted to be sick as he did it over and over. Peter was shaking now, struggling to pull himself away. He was only a few feet away and he couldn't  _ save _ him.

 

After a particularly nasty fist to his chest, Peter choked on a small whimper, “M-mr. Stark!”

 

“I'm right here. I'll be there in a second. Just hang in there--.”

 

“I think it's time to crush the little spider.” Megatron, as Tony referred to him as because he didn't have his villain name and Megatron was fitting, dragged his metal fingers down Peter’s chest. 

 

Tony could hear Peter wheezing into the comm. and it was the most painful thing to listen to. “Let him go!”

 

Megatron started to pull at Peter's mask. “I think it's time we see what's hiding in here.” Tony shouted but that didn't stop Megatron from ripping off Peter's mask. 

 

Megatron paused as he looked down at Peter’s bruised and bloody face. He threw the mask over his shoulder and he cackled. “Where are the Avengers finding their recruits now a days? Chuck E Cheese?”

 

Tony gritted his teeth. “Leave him alone,” he repeated. 

 

“36 seconds until system reboot, Boss,” FRIDAY finally ssid. 

 

“It's okay, Mr. Stark. I'm okay,” Peter mumbled, trying so hard to sound strong but Tony could hear his voice crack at the end of the sentence as he struggled to stay calm. 

 

Megatron just laughed from where he was practically straddling Peter. He had one hand pushing hard on Peter's chest and the other dragging his claws down his cheek. He sang softly, “The Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the water spout. Down came the  _ rain,”  _ He quickly slashed Peter’s cheek as he shouted that one word aggressively. 

 

Tony watched helplessly as Peter's head snapped to the side and the pain on his face betrayed his will to remain stoic. 

 

Megatron sang the last line as he held his razor sharp claws to Peter’s neck. “And washed the spider  _ out _ .”

 

“Please,” Tony found himself begging just to get  _ more time _ . “He's just a kid,” his own voice was breaking in desperation. 

 

“Little boys do not belong in a big boy’s world,” Megatron snarled as he lifted up his arm, preparing to slam it down into his head.

 

“Systems rebooted, Boss,” FRIDAY said suddenly.

 

Tony grinned. 

 

Immediately, he flew out and sent himself crashing into .Megatron. They went flying feet away from Peter and metal slamming against metal filled the air. 

 

Tony never let Megaton get the upper hand because if if he did, he let him get a free shot to finish off Peter. And Tony wouldn't let that happen.  _ Ever.  _

 

So he slammed his fist into Megatron's face. Too bad that idiot hadn't built a mask to protect his head; it was the only part of his body not covered. 

 

Tony used it to his advantage and didn't stop punching until Megaton’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. Tony had a feeling he wasn't going to find a pulse if he even wanted to look. 

 

He barely wasted a moment before he jumped to his feet and ran to Peter. He heard the metal clanking against the cement and Peter didn't even flinch at the noise.

 

Tony fell to Peter’s side, letting his faceplate open. He could hear his heart beating in his ear as he looked Peter over. Half of his face was covered in one big bruise swelling his eye shut. The other cheek was bleeding steadily from four long gashes from the claws.

 

“Pulse, find a pulse, FRIDAY,” he said urgently. 

 

“Pulse found. Medical assistance suggested.”

 

“We--.”

 

“H-Hey, Mr. Stark. How'd I do?” 

 

Tony let out a breath of relief. “You rocked it out there, kid.” 

 

Tony winced at the name. He was really just a kid. Only 15 years old. Just a baby. And he was fighting alongside gods and super soldiers and men in metal armor and deadly assassins.

 

“That's good. Long as you're not mad.”

 

“How could I be mad at you? You saved the day.” Tony was desperate to keep him awake. 

 

“Me? I thought you saved me?”

 

“Nah, kid, you were the one risking your tail out there. I did the easy part.” Tony looked at his torn suit and didn't care that it would take some serious time and expenses to fix it. He cared that he didn't know how bad the skin looked underneath it.

 

“Karen says she's proud too,” Peter mumbled, his eyes --well,  _ eye _ , since the other was swollen-- drooped closed. 

 

“Karen?” Tony echoed and just shook his head. He needed to focus on the more important thing. “Stay awake, kid. If you don't wake back up, Aunt May's gonna have my ass.”

 

Peter smiled. “She already doesn't like you. Don't give her more reasons.”

 

“That's why you need to stay up so you can tell her that I don't deserve to get beat.” Tony started to lift him off the ground with barely any help from Peter. He looked around at the crowd starting to grow around their battle grounds. 

 

He couldn't go back to get the mask and he didn't want any bystanders snapping pictures of Spider-Man without a mask. So he pulled off his own helmet and placed it on Peter's head. 

 

“Hey,” Peter mumbled from inside. “I'm Iron Man.” 

 

Tony rolled his eyes as he scooped Peter up in a bridal carry that the kid would have argued if he wasn't suffering from a concussion. 

 

“Used to have one of these as a kid. Wore it to the Stark Expo.” Peter tried to lift up his arm and made a pathetic sound of his suit repulser charging. 

 

“Don't hurt yourself, kid.” Tony rolled his eyes fondly. He carefully started up the suit and flew above the crowd, ignoring the flashing of cameras. 

 

After a few minutes into the flight, Peter said, “Mr. Stark?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Are we going to a mission? I wanna fight some bad guys.” 

 

Tony couldn't help the laugh he let out. “We're gonna lay low and rest for a few days before we go back into battle.”

 

“But I'm ready and raring to go,” Peter mumbled, sounding awfully tired and delusional for someone who was ready to “fight some bad guys”. 

 

“Well, I'm not, kid. I'm an old man and we need to take breaks between fights or else we pull out a hip.” 

 

“Oh. Okay. Maybe next time,” Peter said before going quiet again. 

  
Sure, Peter was a kid. But he was a kid that never backed down no matter what. And that's the kind of hero Tony wanted by his side. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony argue about Peter and he overhears something he shouldn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your comments and kudos!! I'm shocked so many people are reading my work. Please enjoy this next update:)

 

2.

 

“You have to be  _ kidding me,” _ Steve whispered harshly, trying to keep their conversation from reaching the other ears nearby.

 

“Oh, get off your high horse, Cap,” Tony scoffed. “Which one of us was fighting him in Germany? Because I don't think it was  _ me _ .”

 

Tony could see the fury burning in Steve’s eyes. He felt a pang of satisfaction. “You didn't tell us he was a  _ kid _ .” 

 

“He's not a kid, Rogers.” Tony rolled his eyes. “He's 15 years old. You haven't seen him in battle; he can hold his own.”

 

“I don't doubt that,” Steve said in a low voice. “But he should not be on the battlefield.”

 

“Oh, that's classic coming from you.” Tony pointed his finger at him. “You lied on how many applications to try and get into the army?”

 

Steve looked the other way, rolling his jaw. Years of listening to Howard go on and on about Captain America paid off. “It's  _ different _ .”

 

“Oh, really?” Tony moved to get back into Steve’s line of vision. “Please explain to me how it's different.”

 

“I wasn't 14--.”

 

“ _ 15 _ . And at least  _ he _ won't fall over if he sneezes ” Tony snapped and he could see the flash of hurt that Steve quickly wiped off his face. Tony didn't like the feeling that left in his gut.

 

“You don't know what you're talking about.” Steve crossed his arms over his large chest. Tony was definitely not appreciating how he made the t-shirt stretch. Nope. 

 

“Sickly kid wants to be a hero. I know. But why is Peter any different? You both wanted to fight the bad guy and defend the innocent.” 

 

Tony wasn't prepared for Steve’s answer. “Because there was nothing else for me, Tony!” Not Stark. Tony. “I was a sick kid with nothing for me. I bounced from hospital to hospital when my mom could afford it. And then she was gone and it was just Bucky and I. He signed up and I knew sooner or later he would be drafted and then I would be alone.”

 

“I--.” Tony tried to speak but Steve was not letting him interrupt.

 

“Tell me: do you know how it feels to watch every guy in the neighborhood ship off to fight for our country while you have stay home because your lungs didn't work or you had no immune system or your bones were too frail.”

 

Steve took a step closer. “I was  _ nothing _ and I just wanted to help became I spent my entire life being nothing.”

 

Tiny ignored the part of him that wanted to end this argument and pull Steve in for a  _ very manly _ bro hug. 

 

“But  _ Peter _ ? He has  _ the world  _ ahead of him. He's smart, like super Stark smart. He can do whatever he wants…”

 

“And he wants to be an Avenger. Like us. Is there something wrong with that?” Tony challenged.

 

“He's just a kid,” Steve repeated. “What if he gets hurt out there or worse? Do you really want his family burying him after only 15 short years?”

 

Tony's mind unwillingly shot back to a few weeks back before the Avengers had become a group again and Peter had joined them upstate for weekends. When Peter was lying under Megatron's claws, only one punch away from losing his life. Tony hadn't been that terrified in a while.

 

“ _ He's not going to die _ .” Tony refused to let him get hurt on his watch. He dragged Peter into this and he would go against the devil himself, without a suit, to keep that kid safe.

 

“You can’t--.”

 

“Hey, Mom, Dad, maybe next time you have an argument, you should make sure the kids can't hear,” Clint said from the doorway.

 

Both Steve and Tony turned to look at him. Next to him, Peter stood looking close to crying. He was braced against the door and staring at the two of them with wide eyes. 

 

“Oh shit,” Tony said.

 

Peter took a step backwards, stumbling slightly as he mumbled broken apologies. 

 

“Kid, wait! Tony called out as Peter made a dash down the hall. He cursed again under his breath as he followed him. 

 

He ran into his room and Tony took a deep breath before following in behind him. Peter sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard. He had his legs pulled up against his chest and he was resting his chin on his knees. He glaring at the opposite wall with watery eyes. 

“Kid, I'm sorry you heard that...we should not have been shouting--.”

 

“I heard the whole time,” Peter said. 

 

_ Right, _ Tony thought,  _ enhanced senses. _

 

“I tried to ignore it but then you two starting yelling...I don't, loud noises give me headaches sometimes. It's just too much.”

 

Tony took a seat on his bed. “I know. We should be more considerate of the noise level next time.” Peter had a few painful times when there were too many bright lights and too many loud noises. Tony didn't want to be the cause of one.

 

“He's right,” Peter whispered. “I try to act like I'm not, but I'm still just a kid. I can't even drive yet and I'm fighting things that  _ want to kill me _ .”

 

“They will not kill you,” Tony said immediately. “I will not let that happen.”

 

Peter looked at him and smiled softly. “Thanks, Mr. Stark. But you don't get to decide that.”

 

Their conversation went silent after that and Tony looked around the room Peter was using when he stayed here. The walls were covered in Star Wars posters and other funny science related pictures. 

 

He looked down at Peter who was curled in on himself and he looked so small. 

 

This wasn’t an adult next to him. This was just a scared kid. 

 

Tony hesitantly wrapped an arm around his shoulders.He wasn't good at comforting  but this seemed right. 

 

Peter took that as invitation to lean in close. Tony ignored the surge of comfort he got from feeling Peter pressed close and safe in his hold. 

 

While Peter was a kid, he wasn't  _ Tony’s _ kid. He had no right to share this moment with him. But maybe just for now, he could pretend he did. So he pulled Peter closer. 

“You know,” Tony whispered. “You can back down if you want. Until you're older.” 

 

“No,” Peter said immediately. “I want to help. I just don't want to die,” his voice cracked. “I can't do that to Aunt May.” 

 

“I meant it when I said I wouldn't let it happen, Peter. Ever fight, every battle, I have your back. And if you start sneaking off to start your own fights, please don't deactivate anything on the suit. Let, Karen was it?, let me know when you need help. And I'll be there.”

 

Peter nodded, chuckling softly. 

 

“Besides for the fact that you're kinda growing on me,”  _ I can't imagine my life without you anymore. “ _ You haven't graduated yet. And if you don't think I'm going to be there on graduation day, cheering like crazy after your valedictorian speech and showing you off to all the other parents, you’re crazy.” 

 

“You mean that, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked hopefully. 

 

Tony looked down at him and met his wide eyes that were staring up at him. “If you ever mention it to anyone else, especially Clint, I will deny it. But, yeah I mean it.”

 

Peter quickly wrapped his arms around Tony's waist. “Thank you.”

 

Tony moved his hand from his shoulder to his back and hugged him back. “You're welcome, kid.”

 

Yeah, Peter was the kid that ate ice cream out of the gallon while watching every Star Wars marathon. And he was the kid that decorated his walls with posters and his shelves with Lego sets. And he was still the kid that stuttered when he was nervous. And he was the kid that had special medication to keep acne away.

 

But he was also the kid that put on a suit every day, ready to give up his life for the rest of the world. He was the kid fighting alongside gods and men with super strength and shields and armor and training and the ability to turn into a giant monster.

 

Just like the rest of them, every fight he walked into, he had no idea if he was walking out of it. But that never stopped him.

 

"If you don't tell anyone about the hug I gave you, maybe I'll join you on the couch the next time Star Wars is on."

 

Peter smiled up widely at him. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prank war gone wrong.

_**3.** _

 

“Alright, which one of you fuckers ate the marshmallows out of the cereal?” Sam asked as he poured a bowl of Lucky Charms. 

 

Everyone looked at Clint. 

 

“It definitely wasn't  _ me,  _ if that's what you mean,” Clint replied, avoiding Sam’s glare. 

 

Peter yawned as he took a seat at the table. He was not a morning person like the rest of the team was. Everyone was already seated round the table eating.

 

“Hey, can we keep the language to a minimum in front the kid,” Tony requested as he set a bowl of oatmeal in front of Peter. 

 

“Thanks,” Peter mumbled, rubbing his eyes. 

 

Tony grinned at the boy’s wild hair. He hadn't even combed it before coming down to the kitchen. 

 

“Late night?” Steve said in amusement as he finished off his orange juice. 

 

“What?” Peter said, obviously a bit slow in the morning. “Oh, there was a  _ Firefly  _ marathon.”

 

Steve turned to Natasha and mouthed, “ _Firefly_?” 

 

Tony answered for her, “Sci-fi western show with Nathan Fillion. Cancelled way too early, if you ask me.”

 

“That show had like 10 episodes.” Sam made a face.

 

“ _ 13 _ ,” Tony corrected. “And a movie.”

 

“How shitty was this show?” Clint asked, around a mouthful of cereal. 

 

Tony's eyes flickered over to Peter but the kid looked too tired to be picking up on the language. 

 

“You're one to talk about shitty shows. I would appreciate if you would not fill up the DVR with episodes of  _ The Bachelor _ .” Sam flicked a piece of cereal at Clint.

 

“Hey, bird brains, next one to curse eats a bar of soap,” Tony warned. 

 

Steve chuckled. “And you mocked  _ me _ .”

 

“S’okay, Mr. Stark. I hear  _ way  _ worse in the school hallways.” Peter rubbed his eyes, finally looking like he was waking up. 

 

Instead of letting the conversation drop, Clint asked “What's the  _ worst  _ word you've heard in the hall?”

 

Tony covered Peter's mouth with his hand. “Okay, we will not be discussing this.”

 

Later on, just before breakfast ended, Peter leaned over and whispered in Clint’s ear. He spilt the milk in mouth across the table all over Sam. 

  
  


After that morning, things changed in the Avengers compund. Whenever Peter was visiting, Clint and Sam treated him like ‘one of the guys’. They let him stay up watching R rated movies and no longer censored their mouths. 

 

This also included, bringing Peter in on their prank war. Which pretty much summed up the maturity of the two of them.

 

Sam liked the well thought out pranks while Clint was more than happy with sticking a “Kick me” sign on Sam’s back. 

 

After spending day after day listening to Clint screaming, “I got you, fucknuts!” from somewhere in the vents, cursing in front of the kid didn't phase Tony as much anymore. 

 

He didn't go near Clint’s level (which was add the word “fuck” to another word, bonus points if the other word was a curse word as well), but he didn't see the harm in letting a “shit” or “asshole” slip. 

 

Peter, to his credit, watched his language almost as well as Steve did. The only time Tony ever heard him drop the f-bomb was during a mission and he let that slide since he was dodging aliens that could vaporize him with one shot from their gun. 

 

So, really, Peter was the most mature out of the three of them during the prank war (Tony eventually joined in when Peter asked for some tips). 

 

Unfortunately, prank war was put to an end because of poor planning on Tony's part. He didn't know Peter had a three day weekend and was coming upstate a day early. He just knew Clint had dibbed the television that night. 

 

Tony had completely forgotten about his prank until that night at dinner. Everyone except for Natasha was sitting around the table. 

 

He knew something was wrong with Peter the moment he sat down. He looked a little pale and he was refusing to meet anyone's eyes. When Clint slapped him on the back as he sat down next to him, he let out a small squeak. 

 

Tony eyed him as he took a seat next to him on the other side. He would talk to him in private later. 

 

Steve seemed to notice something off about him too. “You feeling okay, Peter? I can always wrap yours up and you can reheat it later.”

 

Ever since they all got back together upstate, Steve insisted on cooking the meals. Not that Tony complained because  _ man  _ could that guy cook. 

 

“I-I, fine, no n-need, C-Cap,” Peter stuttered out. 

 

Tony hadn't heard him this bad since he first met him, months ago. “Kid, are you coming down with a fever.” He placed the back of his hand on Peter's forehead before turning to address no one in particular of the group. “Can mutant spider kids get fevers?”

 

Natasha saved Peter from having to answer when she walked in. “Not that I'm complaining, but why are Steve, Clint, and Thor doing it on my television?”

 

Tony choked on his food.  _ Oh shit.  _ He totally forgot about his revenge prank on Clint. “I can explain.”

 

“Please do.” Natasha smiled, looking interested. 

 

“It is a...prank?” He wasn't sure how else he could explain why Natasha found the porn on the television. Tony knew Clint was hogging the TV after dinner and so he found an interesting porn with three men cosplaying as Thor, Cap and Hawkeye. 

 

“You fucking dick,” Clint said but he was laughing. “You  _ knew  _ I have the TV tonight. Man, if Tasha hadn't ruined it, then you would have gotten me  _ good _ .”

 

Tony laughed.

 

“But I may just go and watch it anyway because me and  _ Thor  _ and  _ Cap _ ? I'm one lucky sonuva bitch.” He turned to Natasha. “Scale of 1 to 10, how hot is it? What was going on? Was it bottoming...no Cap he definitely was the surprise bottom.” 

 

Tony looked over to where Steve was standing with a face redder than a fire truck. He couldn't even get any words out. 

 

“Oh, don't look so surprised, Cap,” Tony teased. “If it makes your feel any better, you were  _ totally  _ enjoying it.” Tony winked and Steve covered his face. 

 

“Who was topping?” Clint asked Natasha, loving the embarrassment it brought to their leader, more than the porn itself. 

 

She casually repsonded, “Depends. You guys took turns.” 

 

Steve fell into the nearest chair, groaning. Tony smiled when he could still how red his ears were even though his face was hidden. 

 

“I'm never leaving my room again,” he muttered. 

 

“Hey, with me in there, Cap, you never need to.” 

 

Without picking his head up, Steve chucked a fork at Clint. Clint easily ducked it, cackling the entire time. 

 

Tony smiled, looking around the table. It felt like old times before the Accords. Tony missed this. Everybody smiling and laughing...except for Peter. 

 

Peter looked even worse than before this conversation started. His face looked just as red as Steve’s…

 

_....Oh. _

 

“Peter, did you watch the TV?” 

 

Everybody quieted down and looked over at the 15 year old boy, trying his best to close in on himself. “T-there was supposed be a special on the Discovery Channel…”

 

“Oh, my God, you showed a minor porn.”

 

“I-I’m sorry, M-Mr. Stark! I didn't know.” Peter sounded panicked. 

 

Tony rubbed his shoulder, laughing slightly, “It's okay, Pete. It wasn't your fault.”

 

“It's not  _ okay _ , Tony. No wonder the kid can't look me in the eye.” Steve finally lifted his head off the table. 

 

“It'll be okay.” Tony waved him off. “We'll all forget about this soon.”

 

“I promise you, I never forget  _ that  _ for as long as I live’” Peter deadpanned. 

 

Clint could barely breathe because he was laughing so hard. 

 

“That's it. You're done. The next person to pull a prank is Hawkeye’s target for training next week.” 

 

Clint raised his hand and said, “Question, Cap. How am I supposed to be my own target? Because I've already got this awesome prank planned and I don't want it to go to waste.”

 

“You'll have to get creative.”

 

“Kinky.” 

 

Steve glared at Sam. 

 

Okay, so maybe Tony had been careless. Hacking all of the televisions in the compound to play pretty intense porn between what looked to be three of their teammates while a 15 year old kid was living there hadn't been his  _ best  _ idea. 

  
“Hey, kid, do me a favor and don't tell your Aunt May." 

Peter covered his face.

Tony felt a little guilty when he saw how horrified Peter still looked. So he offered, necause it was the _least_ he could do. "I'll pay for all the therapy."

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony should have known from the signs. Peter needed his help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the repsonses I'm getting on this!! Almost 600 kudos...that is insane. Your comments mean the world to me and I try to get back to every one to personally thank you all!

**4.**   


_ two weeks ago… _

 

By the time Peter made it to Tony's penthouse, he was three hours late and the pizza was cold. 

 

He knocked, even though Tony had repeatedly told him to just come in whenever he wanted to drop by. Even if Tony was not in the apartment, Peter was more than welcome to make himself home. 

 

It wasn't as big as his Tower but it was still a penthouse and it was a place that Tony could stay at and be close to Peter. 

 

DUM-E opened the door for him and he threw his backpack to the ground the moment he was inside. There was no happy, “Hi, Mr. Stark!”

 

That's when Tony knew something was wrong.

 

Tony paused what he was doing to watch Peter walk over to him, scowling at the ground the entire time. 

 

“What's up, sunshine?” Tony asked, hoping to get the kid to crack a grin. It was weird to see him anything other than happy and bouncing off the walls. 

 

“Nothing.” He fell to a heap next to Tony on the couch. 

 

Tony raised his eyebrows. “Doesn't look like nothing.” 

 

Peter remained silent. 

 

“You're three hours late. I thought we were going to work on the suit tonight?” Tony leaned over to pull a slice of pizza from the box. 

 

“I'm sorry” Peter's hostile attitude disappeared as he sighed. “I got caught up with something...at school.”

 

Tony nodded. “It's a school night. I don't think Aunt May will appreciate me bringing you home past midnight. We're gonna have to work on the suit another night.”

 

Peter nodded and few times. “Yeah, okay, I'm, I'm really sorry, Mr. Stark.”

 

Tony waved him off. “Don't sweat it, kid. As long as you're okay.”

 

Peter hesitated for a second before saying, “I'm fine.”

 

“Good. That's good.”

 

Tony should not have let it go as easily as he did. 

  
  


_ 8 days ago… _

 

It wasn't rare for Peter to show up unexpectedly at Tony's door. So when Peter showed up one night with the boxed set of  _ Star Wars _ , Tony didn't really think anything of it. 

 

Until, halfway through the second movie, he realized what the date was. “Wait a second...is today the fifth?”

 

Peter waited for another explosion in space before he answered, “Yeah.”

 

“Is there a reason why you're on my couch and not at Nationals?” Tony turned to face Peter. 

 

Peter shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes on the TV. 

 

Tony frowned and said, “FRIDAY, pause the movie.”

 

Peter groaned. “Mr. Stark, what--?"

 

“You've been talking nonstop about making it to Nationals for your little decathlon team every day for the past month. Why aren't you there?” 

 

Peter pulled at his sweatshirt sleeve. “Only one person from each team was allowed to represent each school.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, they send the smartest kid on the team. I know. _ Why aren't you there _ ?” He repeated. 

 

Peter sighed. "Flash is going. He's the smartest, most reliable--.”

 

“Woah, woah, back it on up. There is no way that kid  _ Flash _ is smarter than you. And reliable? Because he has nothing else to do with his life other than devote it to playing your school’s game of Jeopardy.” Tony scoffed. “I mean, you're a superhero for fuck’s sake.”

 

Peter smiled softly down at his lap. “Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

 

Tony slapped him on the back. “No problem, kid. Now where is it? Do we have time to take Iron Man before it starts? I can  _ haul ass  _ in that suit.”

 

Peter quickly shook his head. “No, it's okay. Please, I don't want to start anything with  him.” He gave a small smile that hardly reached his eyes. “There will be other contests.”

 

“And you'll win ‘em all.”

  
  


_ Three days ago… _

 

Tony was waiting for him when he got back. It was past two o’clock in the morning and Peter hadn't been home yet. 

 

May had called up Tony in a panic because she got called to a night shift and Peter still wasn't home. Tony offered to wait up for him. 

 

He was sitting on his bed, waiting for the door to open up. It was time to be stern. But when he saw the door open slowly and Peter walk through, all of his anger dissolved. 

 

Peter had his eyes squeezed shut as he limped through the door. He had a black eye and a bloody lip. 

 

“Peter! What the hell?” He shot up off the bed. 

 

Peter jumped slightly, staring at Tony in shock. “M-mr. Stark, what are you doing here?”

 

“May called. She's worried about you.” He looked Peter up and down.  _ I am too.  _

 

“I’m fine,” Peter said, trying to walk straight again like he wasn't limping a second ago. He fell into the chair by his desk and let out a sigh of relief. 

 

“You don't look fine.” 

 

Peter shrugged his shoulders but wouldn't meet Tony's eyes. “Little scuffle with a perp I was chasing. Tried robbing the McDonald's down on 5th street.”

 

Tony nodded slowly. He knew Peter was probably hiding something but he didn't push. “If you're gonna keep up this patrolling, you have to be more careful. Your Aunt can't sleep at night when you're out and she  _ knows  _ what you're doing.”

 

“I know, I'm sorry.”

 

“Sorry doesn't cut it, kid. You're not the one getting the frantic phone calls from May.” He went over to Tony to help him to his bed. 

 

“I didn't mean to stay out this late. My phone broke during the fight.” 

 

Tony sighed. He knew the kid meant no harm when he stayed out way past curfew. “Remind me to give you an actual phone. There's a new model of the StarkPhone coming out next month. You'll be my tester.”

 

Peter moved from the chair to the bed slowly without help. “Thanks, Mr. Stark.”

 

“No problem. I'm calling your Aunt. If you need anything, shout.” 

 

And that was that. 

  
  


_ Yesterday…. _

 

There was a soft knock at the door and Tony waved for DUM-E to get it. Peter walked through the door slowly. Tony watched him curiously. 

 

After a long moment of silence, Peter asked, “Hey, Mr. Stark, can I talk to you?”

 

By the sound of his voice, Tony knew this was serious so he held back any sarcastic comments. “Sure, kiddo.”

 

Peter walked over to him and took a seat next to him at the table. Tony shut off his StarkPad where he was working on a new arrow prototype for Clint. He turned his full attention to Peter. 

 

“I...I can't really control my strength in the middle of a fight...even when I don't mean to, I send people flying.”

 

Tony blinked. “Wait, I'm sorry, you lost me.”

 

Peter took a deep breath. “I need your help. How do I control myself in a fight. If I want to protect myself but not like  _ really  _ hurt my attacker.”

 

Tony processed what he was asking and he narrowed his eyes. “There is no holding back in a fight, Peter. I know you're still a kid and you don't want to kill someone but if you're fighting someone you give them everything you got.”

 

“Mr--.”

 

“I don't want to see you patrolling and ending up in a morgue because you didn't want to  _ hurt  _ him. You can't be an Avenger and take it easy on villains.”

 

“But--.” 

 

“No buts. You either give it all you got or you don't fight at all. No in between when your life is on the line.”

 

Peter dropped the conversation after that.

  
  


_ 37 minutes ago… _

 

“Hello, Aunt May, what is our boy up to now?”

 

“He hasn't come home from school yet. I told him to come straight home and we'd go out for dinner...school ended 5 hours ago. And I thought maybe he forgot and was patrolling again. I was going to call him but I didn't want to annoy him and push him away because he's been acting so weird lately. But then when I called, finally, he didn't pick up.”

 

Tony was surprised she got all that out in one breath. “Okay, don't worry, I'll find him. He's probably fine. Last time, he just broke his phone.”

 

“Please find him and call me.”

 

“I will,” he promised before hanging up. 

 

“Peter,” he said to himself, “You're gonna give either me or May a heart attack one of these days.”

 

He tried calling the kid as well but he didn't pick up. With a sigh, he grabbed his phone and clicked open the app he used to track Peter's phone. He had just given him the new StarkPhone so he didn't even have to hack into it this time to track him. 

 

He waiting for Peter's location to load, hoping it wasn't too far. He blinked down at the screen as it finally loaded. “Huh,” he said in confusion. 

 

It said Peter was still in his school. “Guess I'm going back to high school,” he mumbled as he grabbed his jacket. 

 

“You will fit right in.”

 

Tony wasn't sure if FRIDAY was looking to start an argument but Tony wasn't so he let it go and walked out the door. 

 

If he had known how high maintenance this kid would be, he would have second thought his decision to bring him into the team. 

 

But then again, he'd hate himself if he would have. 

  
  
  


_ Present… _

 

There were only janitors left in the school and it was actually alarming he easy it was for Tony to get inside and roam around. 

 

He continued to follow the line that led to the small blue dot of Peter's phone. It hadn't moved from that spot since he opened the app. And when Tony looked at the history of Peter's location (he had the best options on a StarkPhone), he saw that the dot hadn't moved for the last 4 hours. 

 

Tony wasn't sure if he wanted Peter to have just dropped the phone and lost it because why else would he be in the same spot all this time? But if Peter was not with the phone then Tony had no clue where to start looking for him because the suit wasn't on. 

 

He paused when he came face to face with the door of the girls’ locker room. He looked around the empty hallway before knocking on the door. “Peter,” he whispered loudly. “Are you in there?”

 

No response. 

 

Tony groaned and hoped no girl was inside as he opened the door. He kept an eye out for anyone as he followed the path of the phone. It was only a few feet away and Tony was starting to think Peter just lost it. But what the hell had he been doing in the girls’ locker room?

 

He got to the end of the trail and looked up in front of him. It was a locker. Tony frowned down at his phone, thinking maybe there was a bug in the tracking. But then he looked back up and he realized. 

 

His blood ran cold as he lifted up a hand to the locker. He knocked once and hesitantly said, “Peter?”

 

Tony held his breath and pressed his ear to the locker, waiting for a response.  It came a few seconds later. 

 

“Mr. Stark…”

 

Tony cursed under his breath. How the hell did the kid get stuck in here? He pulled at the lock but it didn't budge. He doubted Peter knew the combo so he used the gauntlet he had brought just in case and used a laser to break the lock. It fell off to the floor with a small crash. 

 

Tony took in a deep breath and opened up the locker door. He wasn't sure what he was expecting but Peter Parker shoved into a locker that was clearly too small while he was as naked as the day he was born was definitely not it. 

 

“Uh…”

 

“I can explain,” Peter said, his face a bright red from embarrassment. 

 

Tony stared at him, thankful that at least his junk was covered in this position. He grabbed Peter's arm and started to pull. He didn't move. 

 

Tony frowned and tried to pull him out again without hurting him. 

 

Peter's breathing increased as his chest rose and fell rapidly. “Uh, M-mr. Stark...I'm not really a  _ fan  _ of tight spaces.”

 

Tony knew the upcoming signs of a panic attack when he saw one. “It's okay, Peter, I'm going to get you out of here.”

 

Peter nodded his head and squeezed his eyes shut. 

 

Tony looked for a better spot to get him out. He could probably try by his lower back but his leg was shoved into a uncomfortable position that would hurt to pull him out of. 

 

But Tony knew the physical pain was worth being free from whatever nightmare Peter was reliving being stuck in the tiny locker.

 

So he pushed Peter's back in, putting pressure against the leg. Immediately, Peter started to say, “Ow, ow, ow.”

 

Tony didn't stop, no matter how much it pained to hear that. He just kept pushing his back down until his chest was crushing his legs. And then he quickly yanked him out. 

 

Tony fell backwards onto his back and Peter came following on top of him. Tony didn't move, waiting for Peter. He was breathing heavy and his hands were holding onto Tony's arms so tightly they were surely leaving bruises. 

 

Eventually, he calmed down and lifted his head up. Then he remembered his little wardrobe malfunction. He sputtered out an apology as he shoved himself off of Tony, all while trying his best to cover himself. 

 

“Thanks, kid. I mean if someone walked into the  _ girls’  _ locker room and saw me hugging a naked kid, I'd be in some deep shit. There's got to be jail time in there somewhere.” Tony tried to get him to laugh to ease his embarrassment. He had enough from whoever stuck him in there like his. 

 

“One time I woke up naked in my school’s trophy case,” Tony said. “That wasn't even the worst part. I had to piss like a prized race horse and my dumbass principal would let me out until 'I  learned my lesson’.” Tony rolled his eyes. “He got off on punishing me. Typical boarding school. Joke's on them though because  _ I  _ didn't clean up my pee in there.”

 

Tony couldn't see what reaction he was getting because Peter had his head hidden in his knees. Tony could see his shoulders shaking slightly. 

 

Feeling like someone had thrown his heart into a blender, Tony scooted closer to him. He pulled his suit jacket off and wrapped it around Peter's shoulders. 

 

Peter quickly pulled his arms through and looked up at Tony. His eyes were watery and red. “Thanks, Mr. Stark,” he mumbled. 

 

“You wanna tell me what happened?” Tony asked in a soft voice. 

 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. He wiped his nose with his hand but the sleeve of his jacket was in the way. Tony scrunched his face, making a note to let Peter keep the jacket. 

 

“I went to the gym after school and was taking a shower. Flash and his buddies saw me and dragged me here.” He refused to meet Tony's eyes. 

 

“Why?”

 

“Because they think it's funny.” 

 

 

“How long has this been going on?” Tony pressed, so he knew just how much to hurt this Flash kid. 

 

“He's been calling me Penis Parker since 7th grade when I beat him in the school’s science fair.” He hesitated before continuing, “But it only started getting bad a few weeks ago.”

 

“Why don't you punch his lights out and teach him a lesson.” Tony knew Peter could take care of a few high school kids.

 

“I don't want to hurt him. Imagine if I knock him across the hallway? They'll have a field day with that. They already think I'm a freak. So if I can't give it all I got in the fight...why bother?”

 

Tony felt sick. He had said those words. When he thought Peter didn't want to kill someone in battle. Not that he was trying to get rid of a bully.

 

It was all his fault. 

 

Tony remembered the day when he came late because he was ‘stuck at school’ and the day he didn't go to Nationals because Flash was going instead and the day he stumbled into his bedroom with with a black eye and the day when he asked Tony how to protect himself without hurting someone…

 

Tony stared at him with wide eyes. “Peter, I'm…” He swallowed thickly. He rarely apologized but when he did, he meant it. “I'm so sorry.”

 

Peter gave him a small smile. “It's okay, Mr. Stark.”

 

Tony shook his head because it  _ wasn't okay.  _ Peter needed him and he wasn't there for him. “You kept coming to me and I just…”

 

“I wasn't exactly telling you what was going on. You couldn't have known.”

 

But, he should have known. Except, he didn't think Peter was being repeatedly tormented by kids in school. An Avenger being bullied was hard to wrap his mind around because he was used to the Avengers being adults that didn't have to worry about being constantly attacked in school...but Peter was still just just a kid and kids could be so  _ fucking cruel _ to one another. 

 

“C’mon, kid,” Tony said, standing up. 

 

Peter looked up with apprehension but stood up to his feet. The jacket fell to his mid thigh so he was covered up as he pulled the jacket tight around himself. 

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“Back to your place. You need clothes. And you also need a few lessons from yours truly.” Tony wrapped an arm around him as they walked out of the locker room. 

 

“I already tried. When Flash is pushing me around, he gets me so upset and I can't control myself.” 

 

“Oh, I'm not teaching you tactical fighting. That's more Cap’s specialty.  _ I'm  _ going to teach you how to fight back with words.” He grinned. “Bullies hate being embarrassed by  _ words  _ more than they hate getting their asses kicked.” 

 

“Really?”

 

“How do you think I survived MIT, kid? I was the freak that was years younger than everyone else. But not only was I smarter than everyone else, but I was a smart ass.”

 

“Thanks, Mr. Stark. But I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not always good with like, talking...I stutter and forget words and mumble. Flash will only laugh.” Peter was looking around the hallway to make sure they didn't run into anyone. 

 

“Don't give me that. You can be pretty witty on the battlefield. 

 

“That's when I'm Spider-Man not Penis Parker.”

 

Tony stared at him for a few seconds. “ _Peter_ Parker.”

 

Peter's eyes flicked to Tony before he stared back at his feet. 

 

“That's why I need to teach you. Sleepover at your place. Aunt May won't mind, right? I promise I won't try and catch a peek of her in her see-through nightgown.”

 

Peter pulled himself out of Tony's grip as Tony let out a loud laugh. “I'm sorry--,” he broke off in another laugh. “It's just too easy. I promise you can trust me in your home.” 

 

“I'm only bringing you home because you gave me your jacket and it would be rude to not thank you some way. Not because I trust you or forgive you for your creepy comments about my aunt."

 

“Yes, of course.” Tony held open the door for Peter to walk through. He was glad he parked in the back where there was no one near. 

  
Once they reached the car, before Peter could sit down, Tony said, “Woah! You better hope that jacket covers your ass because this is my  _ nice  _ car. That means no naked butts on my seats.”

 

If this were Clint, he would have held Tony's eyes contact as he wiped his ass all over the seat. Actually, he wouldn't even be wearing the jacket. Tony shivered. 

 

But Peter just nodded his head and took a seat, careful of the jacket. 

 

Tony found himself smiling over at him. "You better have snacks because we never finished our _S_ _tar Wars_  marathon." 

 

Finally, a genuine smile lit up Peter's face and Tony knew that might just be his favorite sight in the entire world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are an artist/author that enjoys the relationship of Peter & Tony, then please maybe check out petertonybigbang.tumblr.com. I'm hosting a Big bang for these two and it won't work if there's no participation. The rules are on the site and the fic doesn't even have to be that long. While 20k words is recommended for a traditional big bang, anything above 5k is accepted for this challenge. 
> 
> Please think about spreading the word to others as well? Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds out what happened the night of Homecoming.

**5.**

 

_ “Help! Someone help!”  _

 

Tony's eyes shot open when the screaming reached his ears. It took him a long second to remember that Peter was sleeping over in the guest bedroom. 

 

“Pete…” He was rolling out of bed before he was even awake. “Peter!” He called out as he stumbled out of the door. 

 

“ _ Someone! Help! I'm stuck!” _

 

Peter's voice was raw and it was breaking Tony's heart to hear it like that. Someone was in his apartment. Someone was  _ hurting  _ Peter.

 

He was thankful the guest bedroom was right next to his room. He was bursting inside his room within a minute. 

 

When he opened the door he was ready to fight whoever was making Peter scream like that, even without the suit. But there was no one inside the room beside for Peter. 

 

“M-Mr. Stark,” he sobbed. “ _ Help!” _

 

That was enough for Tony to start running towards his bed. “Peter, wake up.” He placed a hand on Peter's shoulder and shook him. But he was still sleeping. He wasn't in danger here, he was in danger in his head. 

 

“Help!”

 

Tony continued to shake him until Peter's eyes opened to reveal his panicked look. He looked around the room widely. Finally, his eyes settled on Tony. 

 

His screams turned into heavy pants as he struggled to calm himself down. Tony wasn't sure what to do. He had his own nightmares but he usually woke up and spent the rest of the night tinkering in his lab. 

 

But Peter obviously had no clue what to do. 

 

Tony wasn't waking up like this until after Afghanistan and New York. Peter was only 15 years old. What could be haunting him enough to make him suffer like this?

 

“In and out, you're okay, Peter. I'm right here,” Tony said in an uncharacteristically soothing voice. 

 

“Mr. Stark,” Peter couldn't finish his sentence before he broke out in a sob. 

 

Tony didn't hesitate before moving to sit next to Peter. “Hey, it's okay. You'll be okay.”

 

Peter let out another sob he attempted to smother. He fell against Tony's side and Tony wrapped his arms around him. 

 

Tony rubbed his back softly and used his other hand to run his fingers through Peter's sweaty curls. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 

Tony was expecting a quick and negative response. Tony himself didn't like talking to other people about his nightmares. 

 

But he forgot Peter was just a kid. He needed to tell someone about what he was going through. He wanted to get better. 

 

He hadn't grown up into the stubborn ‘I'm an adult, I don't need help with my nightmares’ attitude that most of the Avengers had. 

 

“H-homecoming night,” he said into Tony's shirt so it was hard to understand. “After I figured o-out Toomes was the Vulture...I followed him.”

 

Tony could hear Peter getting worked up again, so he held him closer. He was sure this is what parents did with their children after they had a nightmare. 

 

“He was just stalling and then I thought he missed and then…” 

 

Tony could feel Peter's grip tighten.

 

“It fell,” he whispered. 

 

“What fell?” Tony asked.

 

“The building. And I was underneath it.” His shoulders were shaking. 

 

Tony's mind flashed to the other day when Peter was stuck in a locker,  _ “I don't like tight spaces.”  _ Tony had just assumed Peter was tired of being stuffed in a locker. 

 

“Peter, why didn't you tell me what happened?” 

 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “It already happened. I didn't think telling you would make much of a difference.”

 

Tony pushed Peter away but kept his hold on his arms. “I couldn't have helped you. I didn't know you were going through this.”

 

“I'm fine, Mr. Stark, really.” Peter wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. 

 

“Yeah, I can see that.” Tony rolled his eyes. Stupid kids that were so stubborn. “How long have you been getting nightmares?” 

 

Peter looked down at his lap as he answered, “Ever since that night.”

 

Tony's eyes widened. “And you didn't think of telling me?”

 

Peter still wasn't looking up. “I know I'm just a kid but I don't  _ want  _ to be a kid. Not when I'm Spider-Man. How could you trust me to be a hero if one little thing gives me nightmares?”

 

“ _ One little thing _ ? Peter, a building fell on you! Tons of concrete on top of you with only…” Tony trailed off when he remembered. Homecoming had been after the ferry and before Peter went upstate. 

 

Peter looked up when Tony didn't finish his sentence. “Mr. Stark?”

 

“Your suit. I took away your suit.” He felt sick. He should have never taken away the suit. Of course, Peter would keep chasing danger. Just without the suit that Tony created to keep him safe. 

 

“No, no, no,” Peter said quickly. “It's okay. I was okay. I mean, yeah, it was scary at first but then I heard your voice in my head.  _ You're  _ the one that got me out of there. Even if I was the one lifting it off of me.”

 

“Next time I ground you, I'm not taking away the suit. I'll take your Ned away. But never the suit.” Normal kids got punished and couldn't see their friends, not lose a suit they used to fight crime. 

 

Peter smiled. “I'm fine...I just keep getting flashbacks to before I got out. When I was stuck and couldn't breathe and the concrete was crushing my chest and there was water pouring all over my face--.”

 

Tony interrupted him when he heard his breathing get bad again. “You're okay, kiddo, you're home. You got out.”

 

Peter nodded his head but Tony didn't think he was hearing him. So Tony just held him. He held him close and let him cry until the tears eventually slowed down and Tony's shirt was covered in tears and snot. 

 

“You know, I had bad nightmares once. Sometimes I still do,” Tony said quietly. 

 

“What?” Peter asked, shock clear in his voice. 

 

“Remember the battle in New York?” Peter nodded his head. “Government wanted to blow up the city.” Peter's eyes widened. “The nuke came in and I grabbed it. Flew it all the way through a portal to space and let it blow up the alien base.”

 

Peter was listening to his story with rapt attention.

 

“I thought...I was gonna die…” Tony's voice was quiet enough that if Peter wasn't listening for it, he would have missed it. “So, yeah,” he cleared his throat. “That was bad. Had anxiety and PTSD. My buddy, Rhodey helped me. Made me go to therapy and talk it all out…” 

 

Peter swallowed thickly. “Are...Are you okay now?”

 

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Most days. Some are harder than others. But it helps when you've got someone to talk to.” He nudged Peter's arm with a smile. 

 

Peter nodded with a smile of his own. “Yeah, this does make me feel a little better.”

 

“Good. So how about we go see what's on TV? I don't think either of us are falling to bed tonight.” Tony patted Peter's back. 

 

“Can I pick what we watch?” Peter asked, wiping any remaining signs of his nightmare off his face once more with his sleeve that needed a good wash after tonight. 

 

“Only on one condition, the next time you have a nightmare or it gets bad, come to me, okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

Tony smiled, feeling triumphant. Because even if they watched  _ Star Wars  _ again for the millionth time, being there for Peter when he knocked on his door in the middle of the night a few days later, it was well worth it. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony crashes Father Son Night.

**+1**

  
  


“Why do you look like someone killed your puppy?” Clint asked as he hopped down onto the couch from who knows where. 

 

Tony continued staring at the television, not really knowing what was on. “Don't you have arrows to shoot or a nest to make?”

 

“You're grumpy...so they means something is  _ definitely  _ wrong.”

 

Tony just huffed and ignored him.

 

“Oh,  _ I get it _ .” Clint sounded giddy in amusement. “It's the kid. He's not here and it's Friday.”

 

“I'm not upset. He has a life, you know. Maybe him and his buddy are at the movies,” Tony grumbled, playing with his phone in his hand. Like he had been doing for the past hour. 

 

“Listen, Tony, you know I'm not good at all this gushy feelings crap.” Clint sighed. “But this kid  _ adores  _ you. If you called him up to ask if he was coming over, do you know how  _ happy _ he would be if Tony Stark called him?”

 

Tony glared at his lap. Clint was right. He had gotten used to Peter visiting their compound every weekend. And if he couldn't make it, he always called to let Tony know. 

 

With a sigh, Tony nodded. “I guess it wouldn't hurt to call…”

 

Clint slapped him on the back. “Good. I'm going to eat the last of the pudding while you make this kid’s year.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes as Clint walked out of the room.  Once he was alone, Tony unlocked his cell phone and found Peter's contact. He hesitated before clicking his name and then lifting the phone to his ear. 

 

Tony was surprised that phone rang a few times. Usually, Peter picked up on the first ring. He was even more surprised when it went to voicemail. 

 

Tony hung up before he leaving a message. He frowned, feeling a little worried. He pulled up the app in his phone that let him trace Peter’s suit activity. But it showed that Peter hadn't used the suit since patrol the previous night. 

 

He tried calling Peter again but there was no answer. Slightly panicking, Tony called up Aunt May. 

 

“Hello?” She said after answering, sounding a bit annoyed. 

 

“Hey, May. It's Tony.” He paused before continuing, “Is Peter with you by any chance?”

 

“No,” she answered and Tony's heart began to race. “He's with Ned.” He calmed down. 

 

“Oh, that's what I thought. But he wasn't answering his phone and he never called to cancel…”

 

“He didn't tell you?” The irritation in her voice was replaced by confusion. 

 

“Tell me what?” 

 

“At his school, it's Father and Son night. The gym is set up with games and music and food. This is Peter's first year without Ben…”

 

Tony's eyes widened. How could Peter have forgotten to mention this to Tony? The poor kid was probably devastated, watching all of the other boys with their dads. 

 

“I told him to ask you,” she said slowly, as if she was unsure if that was okay. That was definitely okay with Tony. He would have said yes to Peter if he had asked. “But he told me that you were busy. So Ned is sharing his dad for the night.”

 

“He never asked me…” 

 

“Yeah, well, he was probably embarrassed. He tries to act all tough and like he's too big for stuff like this to upset him. But he's not good at it.” May sounded sad and Tony didn't blame her. He knew what it was like to lose both parents but at least he was older. Peter was a kid when he lost his parents. And then he lost his Uncle Ben, the closest thing to a dad he had. 

 

“Do you think...maybe I could...head down there, if it isn't too late.” Tony held his breath, waiting for May to respond. 

 

“Yes, please,” she said immediately. “It only started a half hour ago and it doesn't end until late tonight.” 

 

Tony was already up on his feet. “I can make it there in a half hour.” 

 

“Thank you,” she surprised him by saying.

 

Tony smiled. “It's no problem.” 

 

They hung up and Tony rushed to his bedroom. “FRIDAY, get Clint. This was his idea so he's flying me to Queens.”

 

He grabbed a suit jacket to pull over his AC-DC t-shirt. He ran right back out in less than two minutes, grabbing his sunglasses off his dresser before he shut the door. 

 

He met Clint, who was already waiting by a Quinjet. He was smirking as he leaned against it. “You know this is only for missions.”

 

Tony waved him off. “Like you always follow rules?” 

 

“Get in.” Clint rolled his eyes.

  
  


What would have been a few hours drive at least, was only a 35 minute flight. When they reached the school, Clint set down on the roof. “I gotta split before someone makes a big deal of us landing on a school roof. Call me when you need a ride back.”

 

Tony nodded. “Thanks, Clint.”

 

Clint gave one of his rare, genuine smiles. “Hey, if I were gone, I'd want someone like you helping my kids out.”

 

“Careful what you wish for, buddy.”

 

Clint laughed. “Have fun, Stark.” He waited for Tony to get off the jet and wave before flying off. 

 

Tony took in a deep breath and straightened his jacket before heading through the door that led him inside the school. He walked through the empty halls, looking around at all the trophies and posters. It was a school just for science and technology. Perfect fit for Peter. Tony smiled. 

 

He followed the distant sound of music and voices talking over one another until he found a small lobby that led to the gym. The doors were open and he could see the crowd of people inside. 

 

There were tables full of machines and places for dads and their sons to mess around with tech. Tony couldn't believe he was about to go inside. He'd never thought in a million years he would  _ ever  _ attended a parent... _ thing.  _ But here he was. 

 

Tony took a deep breath as he stood in front of those open doors. He hadn't felt this nervous since he was a kid. What if Peter didn't  _ want  _ him there and that's why he didn't ask? 

 

Tony shook his head. Peter needed someone there with him. And more than just sharing Ned’s dad. 

 

He was about to walk in when he remembered the sunglasses still on his face. He wore these every time he was in public: it was the Tony Stark thing to do. But tonight, he wasn't Tony Stark. He was Tony, Peter's fill in dad. 

 

So he pulled the glasses off his face and pocketed them. Then he made his way inside them gym. It only took a few seconds for people to recognize him and the whispering started. 

 

He walked past tables surrounded with teens and their dads. He didn't find Peter until he got to the back of the room by the snacks. He was sitting in a chair behind the table, not even eating. 

 

He looked miserable.

 

“Hey, kid, I'm surprised you aren't schooling all these fools at the robotics table.”

 

Peter's head snapped up. “M-Mr. Stark?” He shot off his chair. “Is there a mission? I don't have my suit but I can run--.”

 

Tony took a few steps closer, shaking his head. “No. You're free tonight.” 

 

Looking disappointed, Peter said, “Oh, okay.”

 

“What's the long face for?” Tony asked. “You've got a nice party here. Look,” he said, throwing a chip that he took from a bowl on the table nto his mouth. “They splurged for sour cream and onion.”

 

“This is stupid. I was getting ready to leave anyway.” Peter shrugged his shoulders. 

 

“Leave? I just got here.” Tony huffed. 

 

“What?” Peter asked, sounding hopeful. 

 

“Why do you think I'm here?” 

 

“I-I don't know,” Peter stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. 

 

“We gotta kick some ass, kid. You see all these competitions? You can win these with your eyes closed.” Tony was trying to act like stopping by wasn't that big of a deal.

 

“Are you sure? I mean, don't you have some important Avenger business to take care of?” Peter looked pained as he suggested that.

 

“And leave you all alone? No way.” He nudged Peter's shoulder. “Besides, you're an Avenger too so if there were some important business, you would be included.”

 

Peter smiled up at him. “So you really want to stay?”

 

“Wouldn't want to he anywhere else,” Tony replied truthfully. 

 

“Awesome!” Peter quickly cleared his throat when his voice went high. “I mean, cool, yeah.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. Peter wasn't good at hiding his excitement. “So where to first?”

 

“Ned. He, uh, I'm here with him. I want to let him know I'm good now.” Peter looked nervous. Like he wasn't sure if Tony knew he was at a Father and Son Night. 

 

They walked up to where Ned was waiting on line to challenge an opponent in coding. Peter called his name and he turned around with a bright smile. The moment he saw Tony, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Peter…”

 

“Tony Stark,” Tony introduced himself with an easy smile. 

 

“I know,” Ned said not rudely but in awe. “I'm--.”

 

“Ned. Peter's guy in the chair,” Tony interrupted, making Peter squirm but Ned almost faint of excitement. 

 

“OhmyGod,” he said in one breath.

 

The boys talked quietly while Tony introduced himself to Ned’s father. Ned’s father was just as starstruck as Ned. 

 

“Hey, kiddo, you wanna walk around?” Tony asked Peter, hoping he would say yes. 

 

Peter looked up at him with huge eyes and then back to Ned. “ _ Go, _ ” he urged his best friend. 

 

With a smile, Peter turned back to Tony. “Yeah, they've got this cool table over there where you can make your own ice cream out of liquid Nitrogen.”

 

Tony laughed as Peter dragged him, physically dragged him by the sleeve, to the back table. There was a long line and Tony could have easily made this with him in his lab but Tony didn't want to ruin Peter's fun. 

 

So Tony waited. He waited for every line that Peter showed even a little interest in. And he could hear the whispers around them. People were not only shocked that  _ Tony Stark  _ was at their school. But he was with  _ Peter Parker.  _

 

Thankfully, Peter didn't seem to hear them. He was too busy jumping from table to table. He only slowed down when they reached the last table. The Peter that had opened up during the whole night had suddenly crawled back into his shell.

 

“We don't...you can head home now if you want,” Peter said quickly, not looking at the table in front of them with the longest line. 

 

“What's wrong? You don't wanna play this one?” Tony looked over the heads to see what they were doing. 

 

“No,  _ I do _ \--.”

 

“Then, c’mon,” Tony got on line and looked expectantly at Peter. 

 

“But, Mr. Stark, you don't even know what it's for.” Peter pulled at the sleeve of his sweater nervously. 

 

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “If you wanna try it, so do I.”

 

Peter stepped on line with him. “It's a competition to build a robot.”

 

Tony's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair. “Really? Kid, we can build that with our eyes closed.”

 

“But, Mr. Stark--.”

 

“Gotta say I'm surprised to see you showed your face here, Parker.” A voice from behind them interrupted them. Tony knew right away this was not one of Peter's friends. 

 

“I'm allowed to come. I've got to beat you again, don't I?” Peter shot back. Tony couldn't help his small smirk. Peter had this covered. 

 

“Really? Because the last time I checked, this was the  _ Father  _ Son challenge. I don't care what Stark look-a-like you hired to fill your Daddy shaped hole but you can't fool me.” Tony was going to kick this kid's ass. “ _ Tony Stark  _ doesn't care about  _ Penis Parker _ .”

 

Peter hesitated before saying, “Flash…” 

 

Tony's eyes narrowed.  _ Flash.  _ This was that prick that has been tormenting him for weeks.

 

Tony turned around to finally face the bully. “I'm sorry,  _ who  _ are you?” 

 

Flash stared at Tony with wide eyes. “ _ Tony Stark _ ?” 

 

Tony smiled fauxly. “My friends call me that.” His smile fell. “So don't.”

 

“You're--.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes. “What's the matter, Flash? Running out of mean things to say?”

 

“Mr. Stark, it's okay,” Peter said, refusing to look him in the eye. All of the light in his eyes that Tony had been enjoying through the night was gone because of  _ Flash _ .

 

“It's  _ not  _ okay.” He turned to the man behind Flash. “Are you his father?” The man nodded. “And you're okay with him treating other kids like crap?”

 

The man actually laughed. “Oh, come on. They're  _ boys _ . It's all in good fun. Maybe if your kid wasn't such a pussy…”

 

Tony growled, feeling a surge of protectiveness and took a step forward. “Watch your mouth.”

 

“Or what? You gonna hit me,  _ Stark _ ?” He grinned. “Please do. My lawyers would love that.”

 

Peter was holding onto his arm to ground him. “C’mon, Mr. Stark, you don't have to do this.”

 

Tony didn't move forward any more but he said, “Except I  _ do  _ have to do this. Because assholes like him make his children think it's okay to make other people miserable.”

 

Tony wanted to scream. He wanted to borrow Bruce’s ability to rage out and turn into a giant green monster so he could squish these two like bugs. Because they thought it was okay. They thought it was okay to make Peter wonder when he was going to get jumped again and dread coming to school. 

 

No. Even worse, they thought it was a game. 

 

“Let's just settle this when we get up there, huh? We'll see who really deserves the first spot in the decathlon team.” Flash glared at Peter with a smirk. 

 

“Sounds good to me,” Peter said, glaring right back. Peter was definitely getting better at talking back as Peter Parker. He just had to pretend he was Spider-Man.

  
  


They waited on the line longer than Tony would have liked. Or maybe it just seemed to be dragging on forever because they were quiet. For the first time all night, Peter wasn't saying a word. And Tony knew it was because of Flash. 

 

Tony kept himself between Flash and Peter just in case the little punk tried  _ anything  _ with him. 

 

And finally, they reached the front. Tony and Peter went to one side of the table while Flash and his father went to the other side. There were the basic parts on the table and a box of extras underneath. 

 

The timer started and Tony turned to Peter holding the instructions. “Do we need to follow this?”

 

“No,” he said in a hurry. “That's just in case some people get stuck.” 

 

“Good,” Tony said. “We can do so much better.” 

 

Peter nodded with a smile and they started working. Tony stayed close to Peter's side following any direction he said. 

 

After their 10 minutes ran out, Tony stood back to take a look at their work. He couldn't help the swell of pride when he saw what Peter had accomplished.

 

Flash and his dad looked like they just followed the given instructions. Amateurs. As they showed theirs off first, the small crowd that had formed ‘ooh’d and ‘ahh’d. All it did was walk around by following Flash’s voice commands. 

 

Tony rolled his eyes. Now it was Peter's time to shine. Peter set up his small robot and it walked around just as Flash’s did. But then Peter pressed a small button and it was flying into the air. 

 

Everyone started cheering. 

 

Tony smiled proudly and started to clap for Peter as well. Peter's wide eyes looked around the room, shocked that he was receiving this attention. He turned to face Tony but paused when he saw him clapping as well. 

 

Tony wanted him to know this was all for him. 

 

Flash’s dad was already pissed. Tony actually started to feel a little bad for Flash as he got yelled at for letting this ‘loser’ beat him out. 

 

But then he remembered this was the same kid that shoved Peter naked into a locker just for shits and giggles. 

 

Peter was still smiling widely and Ned came rushing through the crowd. “Pete! That was  _ awesome! _ ” He wrapped his arms around Peter to pull him into a hug. 

 

While those two were celebrating, Tony went over to Flash’s side of the table. “Good game,” he said to them. “But if I ever hear you're giving Peter a hard time again, you're gonna wish you never even  _ looked  _ at him.”

 

Flash glared but Tony could see he was taking that as a serious warning. 

 

“And you,” he said, turning to Flash’s father. “Maybe if you stopped bullying your son, he'd stop thinking it was okay to bully other people.”

 

That left both of them speechless. Tony turned back to see Peter just turning around to face him. “We did it!” 

 

Tony shook his head. “Oh no, kid.  _ You  _ did it.”

 

“But you built half of it!” Peter argued. 

 

“I just followed your orders. You made this all by yourself in under ten minutes. That's pretty freaking awesome.” 

 

“He's right,” Ned chimed in. “We all saw how you were the one behind it. No one thinks you won because of Tony Stark.” He quickly turned to Tony and said, “No offense, Mr. Stark.”

 

Tony clapped him on the shoulder to show none was taken. 

 

“ _ I  _ beat Flash?” Peter asked, seemingly in disbelief. 

 

“Yeah, you did, kid.” 

 

Tony wasn't ready for the arms that wrapped around him. “Thank you so much, Mr. Stark,” Peter whispered into his shoulder. 

 

Hesitantly, Tony wrapped his arms around Peter. “You're welcome, Peter.” 

 

And immediately, Tony wondered why he hadn't ever given the kid a hug before because he obviously needed one and Tony realized, so did he. ”So we've got some time before Clint gets here with our pick up. Wanna kill some time at Carvel?” Tony asked as they walked down the street. 

 

“Yeah, I'd like that.” Peter smiled. He was still staring down at the small plastic trophy in his hand they had won. 

 

Tony had the robot in his arms. “I think DUM-E will love his new friend.”

 

Peter blushed like every previous time Tony had complimented him on the robot. 

  
  


After they had their ice cream and were sitting outside, Peter said, quietly, “Thank you...from coming tonight.” 

 

Tony shrugged his shoulders. “It wasn't a big deal.”

 

“But it was. At least for me. I didn't...ever since Uncle Ben died I've had this empty part inside of me, that I didn't know what it was, missing until you came along.”

 

Tony usually didn't like hearing this stuff. He wasn't good with this whole ‘role-model’ thing he had going with the kid. Tony did not deserve to take the man's spot that had raised Peter for the first 14 years of his life.

 

“And it's not fair for me to say that to you because you're not my dad. You're a billionaire superhero that shouldn't be spending his weekends babysitting a kid.” 

 

“What if I told you I didn't mind spending my weekends with you?” Tony asked. 

 

Peter scoffed. “I'd call you a liar-- with all due respect, Mr. Stark.” 

 

Laughing, Tony said, “It’s true, though. Before I came here I was sitting around waiting for you.”

 

Tony had enough nights of partying and drinking until he forgot his name to last a lifetime. 

 

Now he needed a kid like Peter to worry way too much about when he was out on patrol, to help with the harder homework questions, and to be the father like figure that Peter didn't ask for but needed. 

 

“Really?”

 

Tony nodded his head. “Don't tell Clint he was right but yes.” He nudged Peter's foot softly with his shoe. “Why didn't you invite me?”

 

Peter shrugged his shoulders. “I didn't want to weird you out with it being a Father Son Night.”

 

Thinking over his next words carefully, Tony said, “Well, I can't promise you I'll always be a good help, but I can promise that I'll always be there when you need me.”

 

"That's all I could have ever asked for, Mr. Stark.” 

  
And because Peter was the best kid in the freakin’ world, he gave Tony another hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I'm wrapping this up. And with 900 kudos!! I never imagined that any of my fics would receive attention like this. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> I'm sad to be wrapping this up but I have more Tony&Peter stories planned. My big project right now is running the Peter and Tony Big Bang and writing my own fic for it. You can check that out/enter on tumblr petertonybigbang.tumblr.com . 
> 
> Please leave me your thoughts one last time about this fic. And thank you again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think! I love feedback.
> 
> Until next time,


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